Their styles differed greatly, but these independent designers agreed on what modern fashion should accomplish: it should be eclectic, yet wearable, and should transcend traditional fashion boundaries. “Modernity, for me, is breaking down the ghettos of gender and age,” Thurman said to the designers. “Many of the clothes you design are androgynous and age-ogynous.”

All foreign-born, the designers created outfits that revealed an array of cultural influences: Khan layered a punk-rock leather vest with an Indian beaded dress, while rag & bone paired a British prep-school blazer with mountaineering boots. “This is what makes us modern: we are global citizens,” Philip Lim explained.

At the end, Thurman presented the panel with a surprise. A lone model appeared wearing a piece from each designer: a shaggy floor-length dress, a satin knee-length dress, a fur winter coat, and a tweed belt. “We thought that this look would represent New York City,” she said, smiling, “a melting pot of styles.”